Halo: Outsiders
by dajsk
Summary: After crashing on the planet of Enkao II, Fireteam Gemini must band together and overcome the obstacles ahead of them as they try to make it home. Daniel-012, the leader and CQC expert. Ashley-009, the sharpshooter. Kaleb-189, the demolitions expert, and Lindsay-199, the technician. This group of SPARTANS are well known to be the worst of the best; how will they fair when alone?
1. Chapter 1

It was the 29th of October, 2549. SPARTAN Fireteam Gemini, who scored the lowest on tests, were stranded on the icy planet of Enkao II. SPARTAN-012, Daniel, SPARTAN-009, Ashley, SPARTAN-189, Kaleb, and SPARTAN-199, Lindsay, were holed up in a cramped, snowy, cold, dark cavern of Mt. Ecksomin. Their only source of light being from their helmets, and a small fire. They had crates with _some_ supplies in it, thanks to a nearby downed pelican. The wind howled loudly and eerily, their only protection from any invading Jackal pirates or any other enemy being the pelican parts, which Lindsay dismantled pieces and used them as cover.

The time was, if Ashley was right, currently 0321. "The hell are we supposed to do here?" Kaleb jeered.

"Wait." Daniel responded.

"That's all we've _been_ doing!" he snapped back.

"Kaleb, don't get your panties in a bundle," Ashley remarked, earning a small and light giggle from Lindsay, who was working on getting the communications up, "Lin's got our backs, okay?"  
"Whatever you say, Ash…" Kaleb conceded, brandishing his knife to get rid of the recent Jackal blood which stained it.

"Kaleb, watch your tone." Daniel ordered, running checks on his armor, "we can't afford to fight amongst ourselves."

"Alrighty then, Colonel Sanders." Kaleb said, calling Daniel a chicken.

"Run that by me one more time, Kaleb. Couldn't hear what you were saying with that head of yours so far up your ass." Daniel responded, sneering.

"Good one, cap." Ashley said, smiling behind her helmet.

"Kaleb, you've always been the butt of our jokes ever since we were kids, huh?" Lindsay said, a partial bit of her Chinese accent slipping in her voice.

"Yeah. I'm proud of that." Kaleb responded, sounding a little sarcastic.

"You don't sound too proud of that." Daniel snorted.

After that, silence. Everyone stopped talking. Be it lack of anything to discuss or sheer worry of not being able to make it home alive. The wind howled again. The members of Fireteam Gemini were scared. Scared of dying? Maybe. But what they were most afraid of: was losing one of their own...

 _ **Corral of the Uon System,**_ **orbiting Vexi IV**

 **Barracks of Fireteam Gemini, personal bedroom of SPARTAN-012**

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Daniel sat on the bed in his cabin on the UNSC _Eye of the Storm_ in his standard military uniform. The tag on the breast section of his uniform saying in bold letters. "LANCE 012" He laid on the bed, and reached down under it. He pulled a handle; opening a drawer and rummaging inside it.

He pulled out a notebook and pen, clicking the writing utensil so the sharp ink blade was unsheathed, and he began to write.

" _September_ _15th_ _16th, 2549_

 _Dear diary. Today was...Well, another boring day. Nothing really happened. We ran lots of drills, however. Though, the CO can be a bit of a_ _pain in the ass_ _jerk. He always hounds me for making some small mistakes. At times, I wish he could understand_ me _a bit more. The other soldiers are always so gruff and the fighting type. Me? I'm a little soft. Hell, my mom said I can wrestle with the toughest, but my heart shatters at the sight of a kitten or a puppy in need of a good home. Kind of weird how I'm the one who decided to join the UNSC. I guess it may just be wanting to uphold my father's side of the family. Historical wise. My father's side of the family has a keen sense of honor with the whole...Military thing. It can be_ _a little_ _really disheartening hearing your father think lower of you for not having a passion for military careers As a kid, I wanted to be a writer or an artist; that kind of went away after I got more self-aware and older. I think my mom still has my drawings on the fridge. Man, if I could go back to the simple times...At least my childhood friends are here, sharing the burden with me…"_

Daniel closed the notebook, clicking the pen and holstering the ink blade once more. He clipped the pen to the notebook's spirals, put it back into the drawer, and closed it shut. He laid on the bed, relaxing his arms behind his head and daydreaming. Was it daydreaming?

It's hard to tell in the blackness of space that was his window view. What time was it? Daniel glanced at his clock. In red digits, it read: 0834. _Okay...0100 is...1 AM...I think...So add seven...8:34 AM?_ Daniel thought in his head.

He shrugged it off and got out his headphones from the bottom drawer, plugging it into his phone and turning on one of his favorite songs. The song is roughly 500 years old or more. Daniel loved old music. He pressed play and sang along quietly. "Oh, Texas can you hear me? Speed up on the dawn...To the plains and blues of Houston...In the sun...Where home is a rust...In the parish of space dust...Where the mountains die...And today...is golden…"

As he sang, he felt himself drifting off to sleep slowly. Recalling the memories of today, and what brought him _this_ today. This set of events. He was always a thinker. Always. He didn't like it sometimes; he even tried to force himself to stop at times. But, you can't stop a human from doing something humane.

He fell asleep.

 **16th of September, 2549 (0911)**

 _ **Corral of the Uon System,**_ **orbiting Vexi IV**

 **Barracks of Fireteam Gemini, personal bedroom of SPARTAN-189**

Kaleb had never been a fan of trips that were too far from home. As a kid, whenever he, Lindsay, Ashley, and Daniel would go on trips with his family, he would get homesick. He wanted to play video games or play outside with his neighborhood friends. Today, for him, was no exception to this.

He found himself constantly sitting near his window and spacing out to the sights of said space. Maybe with a bagel and a mug of coffee. The coffee was always _destroyed_ with creamer or sugar or both. Kaleb has always had a tough exterior, ever since elementary; but he's always had an undeniable sweet tooth. Black coffee, to him, is bitter enough to even _hear_ , let alone taste.

Kaleb sipped his coffee. The rich, tasty, vanilla creamer rushed along his taste buds like a raging tsunami of flavor. He cherished every bit of it, before indulging into his cinnamon bagel with cream cheese spread about its toasted surface. _For a military frigate, the breakfast ain't half bad!_ Kaleb thought to himself. As they traveled, the rocks of meteors and moons of the planets in the Uon system drifted by.

Kaleb loved beautiful views.

As someone who is a loudmouth, hot-head, and aggressive, you'd expect his "tastes" to be less for beauty but for dangerous environments. Not Kaleb. Kaleb, as a kid, used to go on hikes with Daniel, Lindsay, and Ashley. Not a day goes by that Kaleb doesn't think of his adventures with his friends. He missed those days. It's all because of _that_.

When thinking of it, Kaleb sometimes can't sleep. It haunts him. What he saw that day, he can never unsee. Being only a teenager, Kaleb will forever remain scarred by it. He wish that that truth wasn't a reality; but it will forever be on his mind.

Lost in thought, Kaleb didn't hear the knock on his door. After several times, he finally snapped back into reality. "O-Oh, come in!" he said.

The door opened, it was Lindsay. Her blonde hair was messy, her uniform was wrinkled, her pant legs uneven, and her eyes looking tired. She was hugging a pillow. "Lin? You okay?" Kaleb sat up.

"...Yeah." she responded, looking away.

"...Can't sleep?" Kaleb inquired.  
"...Yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"...Yeah."

Kaleb took a mental note on Lindsay's behavior. She had never acted like this before. During 5th grade, Lindsay would always help out Kaleb or be his personal therapist, so to speak. She always handled him gently and helped him keep a cool head. This time, it may be the opposite. Kaleb figured that that was why he's always had a little crush on her.

Lindsay walked in and sat on his bed. It was usually against regulation for women to be in men's rooms. However since this was only a personal room, the rules are up to the person staying in it. Kaleb sat next to her, his arms resting on his legs. "Um. So, what's up?" Kaleb started.

"...Can't sleep." she responded, a little late.

"Bad dream?"  
"...Yeah."

"What was it about?"

Lindsay soaked in the nightmare she had. Recalling every bit of it reluctantly, she just wanted to feel okay again.

"...It was that day."

"... _That_ day?"

"...Yeah."

"...Yeah, it...It still haunts me, too, Lin…"

"...I was horrified…"  
"You and me both…"  
Kaleb felt better knowing he wasn't the only one haunted by that day. That day was the day when the four bestest friends would be met with similar fates...And one person would meet their fate without making it out alive. Kaleb scolded himself almost every day since then for not being able to stop it.

Kaleb remembers her everyday. They met after being kidnapped by ONI. He remembers her screams of pain. They resonate deeply in his scarred mind. Blood. That's what was there. In that room. Lots of it. Ever since then, he has had hemophobia. Even a small papercut on his finger can freak him out. He learned that he was afraid of dying that day.

"...She was so young…" Lindsay said, her voice choked up.

"...We all were…" Kaleb reminisced.

They sat next to each other in silence for a little while; they soaked in the harsh reality they witnessed years ago. It was such a horrifying sight to behold. The sight was so bad, Kaleb couldn't keep his breakfast in his stomach. "I...I still have her autopsy…" Kaleb finally spoke.

Hearing this, Lindsay looked up a little. Kaleb reached under his bed and pulled out a small case folder. He opened it and examined the papers.

Name: Isla Barnham

Age: 16

Blood Type: A-

Race: Caucasian

Height: 188.82 CM (6 feet, 8 inches)

Weight: 246 pounds (112.4 kg)

Date of birth: May 16th, 2510

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Ginger

Cause of death: Strength augmentation

As Kaleb read on, tears dotted the papers. A close friend of his, who became part of the group of his childhood friends, was gone. Forever. Nothing he could ever do would change that fact.


	2. Chapter 2

He missed her so badly. All of Gemini did.

After a couple hours of talking with Kaleb, Lindsay and him both fell asleep.

 **16th of September, 2549 (Time: 1056)**

 _ **Corral of the Uon System,**_ **orbiting Vexi IV**

 **Mess Hall, Table B-3, GEMINI seating location**

Breakfast time was Ashley's favorite time. She loved to eat; she's not overweight however. She's just always loved to eat. The morning exercises usually helped burn off the calories she ate however. She sat next to Daniel, who was enjoying some nice cinnamon apple oatmeal with an apple and orange juice.

Ashley was eating some toast with jelly, a banana, a blueberry muffin, and drinking an apple juice.

"Stuffing your face again, I see." Daniel said, hunched on the table and sipping his orange juice.

"Yep," Ashley responded, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  
"Sounds like an excuse to stuff your face even more." Daniel joked, giving her a light punch on the shoulder.

"Well, look at you, Bones!" she poked his stomach, "Hell, I could shine a light on your chest and see right through ya."

"Hey, I'm conscious of my weight!"

"Suck it up, Buttercup." Ashley giggled, taking a bite of her muffin.

"Don't call me Buttercup, Red Tan." Daniel jabbed back,

Given that Ashley and Daniel were the closest of the friends, they've given each other nicknames. Buttercup was Daniel's nickname when he was five; it was when he thought that a buttercup, the flower, would taste like a Peanut Buttercup. He was wrong.

Red Tan was Ashley's nickname when she was also five; it was when she saw her mother suntanning on the beach, so she did the same. She didn't realize that she needed sunscreen. She was red for the rest of the vacation.

The two best friends ate together in silence for a small moment, before Daniel spoke up, "Hey, have you seen K and Lin?"

Ashley pondered for a moment, "Not that I know of. The two lovebirds might still be sleeping."

"We should check on them."

"But I wanna finish my food!" Ashley whined.

"Oh, get over it. You already ate as much as you need for a lifetime last night."

"Hey, are you calling me fat?"

"Maybe I am." Daniel sneered as he sat up.

"You _ass_!" Ashley giggled and hit him. She threw away her empty plastic bowl, cup, muffin wrappings, and banana peel. After that, she went to the barracks. Daniel followed after throwing his stuff away.

 **16th of September, 2549 (1119)**

 _ **Corral of the Uon System,**_ **orbiting Vexi IV**

 **Barracks of Fireteam Gemini, hallway**

It wasn't a secret between the friends of Fireteam Gemini that Lindsay sometimes snuck into Kaleb's room. Daniel and Ashley both can recall moments when Lindsay would sleep with Kaleb to calm down.

New Year's parties with loud fireworks.

Their first day after being kidnapped by ONI.

After the augmentations.

These were all times when Lindsay would confide in Kaleb. Daniel internally chided Kaleb for not realizing that Lindsay liked him as well.

"Hey, Dan?" Ashley stirred up a conversation.

"Yeah, Ash?" Daniel responded, helping her stir the pot of conversation.

"Why are we such...Misfits here?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"We usually get...Yelled at more for being different. Why?"

Daniel had the same question for a long time but never once asked. "I'm not so sure myself. Maybe how we act towards one another?"

"How so?" Ashley inquired.

"Like...What other Fireteam is as buddy buddy as us?"

"Well, there's Blue Team...And Red Team."  
"Yeah but...I think we're different in that sense."

"...Not really."

"Think about it Ash," Daniel began to explain, "Blue Team is just buddy buddy with each other because they're comrades and need healthy relations, y'know?"

"But why are we scolded for having stronger bonds?" Ashley asked, confused.

"I guess because...Growing up together in a happy environment made us softies for each other. The UNSC probably wants our asses to be loyal to the objective we do."

"So, it's like...They don't want us to sacrifice the objective for a life?"  
"Bingo, my fellow philosopher." Daniel joked.

"...Shut up." Ashley couldn't help but smile at his Daniel's humor. No matter how dumb it was.

Daniel knocked on Kaleb's door, "Knock knock, ya newlyweds."

No answer.

"Should we go in?" Ashley asked. Without saying anything, Daniel opened the door.

"Aww, look at that." Daniel whispered to Ashley, doing baby talk. She peered in, seeing Lindsay asleep and snoring on top of Kaleb.

Daniel tiptoed to them, seeing the autopsy. He picked it up. "Oh, wow...Isla…"

"Damn...How long has it been…?" Ashley asked.

"32 or 33 years now…" Daniel responded after a moment of silence.

"...Still hurt?"  
"...A little." Daniel lied. It hurt _a lot_. He was just good at hiding what hurt him the most.

Kaleb slowly awoke, seeing Ashley and Daniel looking at the autopsy.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kaleb shouted.

Kaleb's sudden outburst caused Daniel and Ashley to jump, then Lindsay shot up.

"Wh-What's going on?!" Lindsay asked, panicking. She then realized she was still with Kaleb. In bed. Her face turned red as she stuttered and ran out of bed and to her room, stumbling.

"Jeez, quiet down dude." Daniel said.

"Why are you in my room?!" Kaleb asked angrily.

"To wake up the newly wedded folk and congratulate them!" Ashley joined in.

"N-Newlywed?!" Kaleb said, turning red too.

"Congrats, dude!" Daniel joked with Ashley.

"Get! Out!" Kaleb threw a pillow at Daniel, who laughed and ran out; not before grabbing Ashley's hand and charging out with her.

They slammed the door. Kaleb could hear their giggles growing distant.

He relaxed on the bed, but he couldn't help but smile. _Those friggin' punks…_ he thought to himself.

Bit of a shorter chapter, sorry about that! Just wanted to get this one out there in time before my finals start tomorrow. After the finals are done with, chapters will be longer. Hope you enjoy this one! :)  
-dajsk


End file.
